Achieving Sustainable Development Goals by 2030: Mission impossible?

Ghana began formally pursuing sustainable development goals more than a quarter of a century ago. Jerry John Rawlings’ government adopted the United Nations-endorsed Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) in September 2000. 

Ghana’s adoption of the MDGs was not in isolation: 189 world leaders signed up to the MDG initiative designed to tackle poverty, disease and illiteracy in the global south, including Africa, by 2015.

After the Rawlings presidency, the administration of President John Agyekum Kufuor led the initial implementation and integration of the MDGs into Ghana’s national planning from 2001.

The MDGs were later followed by the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), a 15-year programme from 2015 to 2030.

Ghana has achieved some success in relation to the MDGs/SDGs: one of the first countries in sub-Saharan Africa to integrate the MDGs into its national development framework, specifically the Ghana Poverty Reduction Strategy.

Second, President Nana Addo Danquah Akufo-Addo proclaimed in August 2019 that Ghana was ‘the first country in sub-Saharan Africa to free ourselves from colonialism; we were the first sub-Saharan African country to achieve the goal of halving poverty, as contained in Goal 1 of the Millennium Development Goals; and we were the first country in Africa to eliminate trachoma’ (a contagious bacterial eye infection caused by chlamydia trachomatis, leading to chronic conjunctivitis). President Akufo-Addo added that ‘his government is pursuing the implementation of the SDGs with a strong sense of urgency, and an unparalleled commitment to act now.

What has followed President Akufo-Addo’s 2019 announcement about Ghana’s SDG progress?

President John Dramani Mahama’s government, which took power in January 2025, nearly 15 months ago, is responsible for implementing the SDGs. 

The current government is responsible for achieving sustainability goals by 2030, when there will be scrutiny of Ghana’s sustainable development progress since 2015. 

Challenges

Sustainable development in Ghana faces immense challenges – ranging from rapid, unplanned urbanisation and waste-management crises in population centres, notably Accra, to high debt and fragility in the energy sector.

These issues make achievement of the SDGs by 2030 highly problematic: not quite ‘mission impossible’, but certainly ‘mission rather unlikely’.

Key obstacles include poor policy implementation, corruption, and environmental degradation, which demand urgent upgrades in governance and infrastructure investment. 

Five problems stand out.

First, there is rapid urbanisation and underdeveloped infrastructure, particularly pronounced in Accra.

In the capital, growth outpaces infrastructure development, leading to severe traffic congestion, inadequate housing and poor waste management.

The proliferation of slums and the lack of green spaces also hinder sustainability.

The population of the Accra metropolitan area is projected to reach between 2.9 to 3 million by 2030, driven by rapid urbanisation and a 2.9% annual growth rate.

The broader Greater Accra Region, with over 5.4 million people in 2021, is experiencing rapid population growth, with urban growth expected to continue as part of a trend toward 60.7% urbanisation in Ghana by 2030.

Second, there is severe environmental degradation, including high levels of plastic pollution, illegal mining (galamsey) and poor drainage leading to flooding.

Third, economic and energy constraints, the consequences of high levels of public debt, economic instability, and over-reliance on traditional biomass, create financial hurdles for the green transition.

Some analyses suggest that high gross domestic product (GDP) growth would require energy consumption levels that conflict with sustainability targets.

Fourth, there is the problem of policy incoherence. It is not that policies don’t exist: they do.

The issue is that they are often disjointed, leading to duplicated efforts and poor implementation of urban and climate change strategies.

Finally, the above problems are compounded by institutional issues, including a ‘culture of apathy’ – how often do we hear: do we really need to worry about sustainable development? – and high levels of public corruption, which both complicate and hamper development efforts. 

What is to be done?

There are potential solutions to problems of sustainability in Ghana – if the government is serious about sustainable development and achieving the SDGs by 2030.

Here are a few suggestions: first, increase investment in human capital, including efforts to bridge the gender gap in economic participation, a crucial component of increasing productivity and ensuring inclusive growth. Second, improve urban planning and transportation.

This would require smarter urban planning, including efficient public transport (how about greatly expanding the bus network and developing the country’s neglected railways, rather than just keeping building more roads?).

Third, sustained focus on renewable energy.

This is a bit of a no-brainer: Ghana holds significant potential for solar and wind energy to diversify its currently fragile energy sector.

Why is it so under-utilised? 

Finally, strengthen local governance and enforce existing environmental and planning policies: crucial factors in better management of natural resources and strengthening resilient infrastructure.

While there are many obstacles to realising the SDGs by 2030, their achievement is not (yet) ‘mission impossible’.

To make it ‘mission accomplished’, President Mahama’s government must up its game: intensify and make policy more coherent and significantly increase financial investment in sustainability. 

The writer is an Emeritus Professor of Politics, London Metropolitan University, UK.